Baldrick!!!! I thought you said you’d lost the recipe for that custard!?!

Current air defence eguipment is Javelin (manPAD – shoulder or multiple mount) – replaced Blowpipe, and ADATS in addition to the GDF 005 twin 35mm.

The Navy utilizes the SM-2 (same as the USN)

A comment not a complaint…

First of all, hats off to SOC for ‘taking care of business’.

It’s become more obviously lately that some members don’t read/understand/abide by the Forum rules. This is a truly international forum to which we all (I hope) come to learn and share – this is not a bar-room pi$$ing match.

I too have had moments when I’ve sorely wished I’d never joined… however I’ve managed to bite my tongue and bide my time, knowing that what has bothered me has been simply posted by the rude/ignorant/un-informed (check all that apply).

Some of the comments I’ve read here (in general) really do make me sick to think that I share the title ‘aviation enthusiast’ with some of these people. Fortunately there are a great deal more individuals worldwide who do not go through life with blinders on and can share and contribute to a multi-facetted discussion without resorting to petty name calling and/or biased opinions.

A recent print article back here in the “North of the 49th” made a stinging comment regarding the world of email and online forums… in particular the ‘immediacy’ and ‘anonymity’ of the medium. We should all take a couple moments longer when drafting out replies and responses – simply because an innocent word choice can be immediately read and contrued in the wrong (and potentially offensive) manner.

As for the rest, yes there is a group – and not necessarily of any particular nationality – who would rather be arguementative and beligerent. The only thing I wish there is that they would appoach the forum with an open mind and be willing to accept other information and other people’s opinions. To the administrators, I say thank you for your work in weeding those out. As the old adage goes ‘If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all’ – and this still rings true in this electronic (and in some cases anonymous) age.

Otherwise, I say to SOC, Arthur, Frank, Harry and the rest… thank you and keep up the good work. As I’ve said, I hope we are all here to learn and share and debate when debate is due – but not argue and name-call simply because we can or feel like it. The biggest recommendation I could make to the Web-master and the powers-that-be would be to make certain elements of the user profile mandatory and thus lose the ‘anonymity factor’ that so many of the ‘trolls’ and ‘flamers’ hide behind.

‘Level’… This thread and the lead photo happens to be the first I’ve seen your material, and it is indeed a shame to see you leave.

‘SOC’ thank you again for this opportunity to get something off my chest and share it with anyone who wishes to read it.

James
(un-biased and openly, proudly Canadian)

Magister….

Hi Milton,

Best ones of the Magister I’ve been able to find.

OR… drop me a PM – I can always pass along the Vector files I created for my profiles.

James

Balkan History…in brief

First off no one should feel stupid for not knowing whats going on here,elp mentioned hes been reading on the subject for the last 3 months,and only knows 1% of the situation.So could forum members from this region give both a historical and current background to this conflict and all groups involved.I believe problem with US/NATO/UN policy is they wont admit they dont know whats going on,so they hold to a reactionary type of responce.Ive heard ethnic groups have ties to surrounding countries,so this could develop into a really bad situation.To Bad Toms not around,Im sure he could make a thorough explanation of all this.One misconception I believe people have is that they think the moslems are descended from a nomadic peoples.If youve read about the battle of lepanto,youd see that the ottoman turks were a huge power at that time and nearly took complete control of the medeteranian in 1500s.

For an interesting and informative look at some of the sources of conflict in the Balkans, look for the following book:

‘Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History’
by Robert D Kaplan ISBN 0679749810

When I finished reading it the first time, I had to turn around and read it again. Its not written like a history text book – instead more like a travelogue – as the author recounts his travels from Slovenia, through Croatia, Albania, Madedonia, Bulgaria and on through Serbia, and Romania. It touches on the ethnic and religious issues and their generations-old role in the make up of the Balkans we know today. One of the very best historic writings I’ve read in a long time.

Ok, first time I spotted this thread…

Thanks Don for finding and pointing this out.

and now for a local comment…. Ho Ho Ho….

Regardless of what anyone else may think about it, this is one thing that still makes children look to the skies and wonder. The fact that the Canadian Forces have continued to embrace the season and take and ‘active role’ in the ‘Season’ makes me even more proud to be a Canadian.

I’ve managed to convert my 4 year old nephew to the passion for anything that flies – and for the last month he’s been going ‘Santa crazy’ – so just imagine how crazy he will be when I throw the Hornets at him!

Sure – from an ‘adult’ point of view – it may seem ‘hokey’, but come on gang, it’s really all about the kids, and we’ve all been there. PR machine or not, the fact that the Forces can get into the seasonal swing of things for the sake of our younger generations – even given our currently strained operational situation – speaks volumes!

Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Night…. from the land of the North (magnetic) Pole!

(P.S.) …. still no snow on the ground where I am – thankfully Santa invested in V-STOL and got rid of those skis.

For anyone interested in some more of the historical background, internal (US) conspiracies, after-effects, finger pointing and navel gazing related to The Pearl attack, I can highly recommend the following…

Infamy, by John Toland (ISBN 0-245-07664-4)

Not a work of fiction, but rather a careful investigation and recount of the investigations and reports following DE 07 41. It will make you shake your head.

JJ

Correcting myself…

Hiroshima was a major Naval city (basing/industry) if I recall correctly, and again IIRC, Osaka was to be the target on the 9th but target visibility forced the alternate of Nagasaki.

JJ

Kokura Arsenal – in Kitakyushu – was the primary taget for ‘Fat Man’ on August 9.
http://www.mbe.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/nagasaki.htm